Objective
The Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)Glossary is a compilation of associated terms.
Subjective
Glossary
A
Abuse by Proxy – Manipulating allies to attack or isolate the victim on the narcissist’s behalf.
Amor Fati Narcissist – Sees domination and fate as justification for endless admiration-seeking.
Antagonistic Attachment – Emotional bonds maintained through volatility, fear, and intermittent reward.
B
Blameshifting – Making the victim responsible for the narcissist’s abuse or failures.
Breadcrumbing – Giving minimal attention to keep victims invested without true commitment.
Boundary Erosion – Gradual dismantling of personal limits to gain control over the victim.
C
Cognitive Dissonance – Psychological distress from contradictions between abuse and affection.
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) – Chronic trauma response from prolonged cycles of abuse.
Control by Chaos – Instability created to make the narcissist the victim’s only “anchor.”
Covert Narcissist – Narcissist who uses subtle, hidden manipulation under a shy or wounded mask.
D
DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender when confronted with accountability.
Devaluation – Phase of belittling and contempt after initial idealization.
Discard – Abrupt abandonment once the victim is no longer useful.
Distortion Campaign – Systematic rewriting of events to frame the narcissist as hero and victim as villain.
Double Bind – Creating contradictory demands where the victim loses no matter what.
E
Emotional Hemophilia – Inability to self-soothe; extreme reactivity to small triggers.
Enmeshment – Blurred boundaries where the narcissist fuses identity with others.
Entitlement – Belief that their needs outrank all others.
Exploitation – Using others’ empathy, skills, or resources without reciprocity.
F
False Emergency – Manufacturing crises to demand attention or compliance.
False Self – Mask of superiority hiding insecurity and emptiness.
Flying Monkey – Enablers recruited to enforce the narcissist’s narrative.
Future Faking – Promising change or plans never meant to be fulfilled.
G
gaslighting – Distorting reality to make victims doubt memory, perception, or sanity.
Grandiosity – Inflated sense of importance or uniqueness.
Gray Rock Method – Survivor tactic: becoming emotionally unresponsive to deflect attention.
Grooming – Early manipulation to establish trust and dependency.
H
Hoovering – Attempts to “suck” a victim back into the relationship after discard.
Hypervigilance – Constant alertness to avoid triggering abuse.
Hypersensitivity – Extreme reaction to criticism, often through rage.
Hypocrisy – Expecting loyalty and empathy while giving none.
I
Idealization – Over-the-top praise and love-bombing at relationship start.
Identified Patient – Scapegoated family member who carries blame for systemic dysfunction.
Intermittent Reinforcement – Random affection mixed with abuse, deepening trauma bond.
Isolation – Cutting victims off from support systems to enforce dependence.
J
Jealousy Induction – Provoking insecurity by flaunting exes or rivals (triangulation tactic).
Jekyll and Hyde Switch – Sudden change from charming to cruel persona.
L
Love-Bombing – Overwhelming attention to create dependency.
Loyalty Tests – Forcing humiliating demonstrations of devotion.
Lack of Empathy – Core trait; indifference to others’ feelings or suffering.
M
Malignant Narcissism – Severe form combining NPD, sadism, and antisocial traits.
Mirroring – Copying values/traits to create a “soulmate illusion.”
Mood Swings – Rapid shifts in emotion weaponized for control.
Masking – Adopting personas to hide predatory motives.
N
Narcissistic Injury – Wound from perceived criticism or rejection.
Narcissistic Rage – Explosive anger triggered by loss of control or supply.
Narcissistic Supply – Validation, attention, or power extracted from others.
Neglectful Abuse – Withholding care or affection as a form of control.
P
Pathological Envy – Resentment of others’ success; drives sabotage.
projection – Attributing their own flaws or abuse to the victim.
Psychological Terrorism – Sustained covert abuse that instills fear and dependency.
Pity Ploy – Exploiting sympathy to avoid accountability.
R
Reactive Abuse – Victim’s defensive outburst reframed as “proof” of instability.
Reverse Discard – Manipulating the victim to end things, shifting blame to them.
Rumination – Obsessive replaying of abusive incidents, especially post-discard.
Role Reversal – Casting themselves as the victim and the victim as the abuser.
S
Silent Treatment – Withdrawing communication to punish or control.
Smear Campaign – Spreading lies to damage the victim’s reputation.
Splitting – Viewing others as all-good or all-bad, no nuance.
Supply Chain – Multiple sources kept available to meet ego needs.
T
Trauma Bond – Addictive attachment reinforced by intermittent abuse and reward.
Triangulation – Using a third party to provoke jealousy or competition.
True Self – Fragile, hidden identity beneath the narcissist’s false mask.
Token Gestures – Occasional kindness to maintain control and confusion.
Contexts
#narcissistic-personality-disorder-lexicon (this is the Root Memo)
#narcissistic-personality-disorder (See: Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD))
#glossary (See: Glossary of Glossaries)
Objective
The Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)Glossary is a compilation of associated terms.
Subjective
Glossary
A
Abuse by Proxy – Manipulating allies to attack or isolate the victim on the narcissist’s behalf.
Amor Fati Narcissist – Sees domination and fate as justification for endless admiration-seeking.
Antagonistic Attachment – Emotional bonds maintained through volatility, fear, and intermittent reward.
B
Blameshifting – Making the victim responsible for the narcissist’s abuse or failures.
Breadcrumbing – Giving minimal attention to keep victims invested without true commitment.
Boundary Erosion – Gradual dismantling of personal limits to gain control over the victim.
C
Cognitive Dissonance – Psychological distress from contradictions between abuse and affection.
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) – Chronic trauma response from prolonged cycles of abuse.
Control by Chaos – Instability created to make the narcissist the victim’s only “anchor.”
Covert Narcissist – Narcissist who uses subtle, hidden manipulation under a shy or wounded mask.
D
DARVO – Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender when confronted with accountability.
Devaluation – Phase of belittling and contempt after initial idealization.
Discard – Abrupt abandonment once the victim is no longer useful.
Distortion Campaign – Systematic rewriting of events to frame the narcissist as hero and victim as villain.
Double Bind – Creating contradictory demands where the victim loses no matter what.
E
Emotional Hemophilia – Inability to self-soothe; extreme reactivity to small triggers.
Enmeshment – Blurred boundaries where the narcissist fuses identity with others.
Entitlement – Belief that their needs outrank all others.
Exploitation – Using others’ empathy, skills, or resources without reciprocity.
F
False Emergency – Manufacturing crises to demand attention or compliance.
False Self – Mask of superiority hiding insecurity and emptiness.
Flying Monkey – Enablers recruited to enforce the narcissist’s narrative.
Future Faking – Promising change or plans never meant to be fulfilled.
G
gaslighting – Distorting reality to make victims doubt memory, perception, or sanity.
Grandiosity – Inflated sense of importance or uniqueness.
Gray Rock Method – Survivor tactic: becoming emotionally unresponsive to deflect attention.
Grooming – Early manipulation to establish trust and dependency.
H
Hoovering – Attempts to “suck” a victim back into the relationship after discard.
Hypervigilance – Constant alertness to avoid triggering abuse.
Hypersensitivity – Extreme reaction to criticism, often through rage.
Hypocrisy – Expecting loyalty and empathy while giving none.
I
Idealization – Over-the-top praise and love-bombing at relationship start.
Identified Patient – Scapegoated family member who carries blame for systemic dysfunction.
Intermittent Reinforcement – Random affection mixed with abuse, deepening trauma bond.
Isolation – Cutting victims off from support systems to enforce dependence.
J
Jealousy Induction – Provoking insecurity by flaunting exes or rivals (triangulation tactic).
Jekyll and Hyde Switch – Sudden change from charming to cruel persona.
L
Love-Bombing – Overwhelming attention to create dependency.
Loyalty Tests – Forcing humiliating demonstrations of devotion.
Lack of Empathy – Core trait; indifference to others’ feelings or suffering.
M
Malignant Narcissism – Severe form combining NPD, sadism, and antisocial traits.
Mirroring – Copying values/traits to create a “soulmate illusion.”
Mood Swings – Rapid shifts in emotion weaponized for control.
Masking – Adopting personas to hide predatory motives.
N
Narcissistic Injury – Wound from perceived criticism or rejection.
Narcissistic Rage – Explosive anger triggered by loss of control or supply.
Narcissistic Supply – Validation, attention, or power extracted from others.
Neglectful Abuse – Withholding care or affection as a form of control.
P
Pathological Envy – Resentment of others’ success; drives sabotage.
projection – Attributing their own flaws or abuse to the victim.
Psychological Terrorism – Sustained covert abuse that instills fear and dependency.
Pity Ploy – Exploiting sympathy to avoid accountability.
R
Reactive Abuse – Victim’s defensive outburst reframed as “proof” of instability.
Reverse Discard – Manipulating the victim to end things, shifting blame to them.
Rumination – Obsessive replaying of abusive incidents, especially post-discard.
Role Reversal – Casting themselves as the victim and the victim as the abuser.
S
Silent Treatment – Withdrawing communication to punish or control.
Smear Campaign – Spreading lies to damage the victim’s reputation.
Splitting – Viewing others as all-good or all-bad, no nuance.
Supply Chain – Multiple sources kept available to meet ego needs.
T
Trauma Bond – Addictive attachment reinforced by intermittent abuse and reward.
Triangulation – Using a third party to provoke jealousy or competition.
True Self – Fragile, hidden identity beneath the narcissist’s false mask.
Token Gestures – Occasional kindness to maintain control and confusion.
Contexts
#narcissistic-personality-disorder-lexicon (this is the Root Memo)
#narcissistic-personality-disorder (See: Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD))
#glossary (See: Glossary of Glossaries)